


Cupid

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Coulson Thinks Skye Is The Best Thing Ever, Coulson gets infected, F/M, Gen, Protective Phil Coulson, featuring Hawkeye, mystery drug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 10:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2188386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint makes a mistake, and the rest of the team are stuck with the consequences. Skye and Coulson don't seem to mind so much, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cupid

"Shit," Barton muttered, jerking back around the corner, hiding from the man he had just hit with an arrow.

"Ow! What the - "

"Hey, AC, can you take a look at some of these files with me? I'm not getting some of this jargon, here..."

"Of course," Coulson said immediately, his tone completely changed. He surreptitiously dropped the arrow behind the couch, and stepped closer to Skye as she held the tablet at an angle so they could both see the screen.

"I swear I've been reading those books you let me borrow, but some of these codes just..." Skye trailed off, glancing up and realizing that Coulson was not paying attention to the tablet screen. "Uh, everything alright?" She asked, quirking her eyebrow.

"Everything is _wonderful_ ," Coulson breathed, a smile on his face, standing right in her space and just _staring_ at her. He was close enough that his nose almost touched her temple.

"Oookay," Skye muttered, trying to focus back on her tablet. They never really had a problem with personal boundaries, but he was on a whole different level now. His breaths ghosted against her ear and the side of her neck, causing tingles to run down her spine and pool into her gut. And something about his voice was _odd_. His tone was almost ... Sensual.

"AC," Skye spoke firmly, shifting her weight slightly away from him. He followed her, leaning in without actually taking a step closer. "These files might actually _tell_ _us_ who is still loyal to SHIELD, without us having to take the risk of running into Hydra agents."

"Wonderful." Coulson said sincerely, still staring at her with that distracted look on his face.

"Are we talking about the same thing, here?" Skye demanded, frowning.

"Oh, yes." Coulson assured her, but she gave him a dubious look before slowly returning her gaze back toward her tablet.

"Alright..." She pointed to a section of writing on the screen. "I get this part - it's clearly pointing out that this agent knew about Hydra infiltrating the ranks." Coulson was pressed against her; his front against her side, though he was nodding as if he were following along. "I, um, this is the same stuff we've seen in the other files. But this," Skye pointed to another section, "this is new. I can't figure this one out. Did he know because Fury had him digging, or did he know because he's Hydra as well?"

Coulson's nose was pressed into her hair, and he mumbled something she couldn't understand. She leaned away from him and pushed a hand against his chest just hard enough to make him take a step back.

"I really like this new Director / Second-In-Command relationship we've got going, but I really think some personal boundaries should be respected, you know?" She raised her eyebrow at him, wondering if he was reacting badly to some medication.

"I am _completely_ respecting you personally." Coulson said, smirking, and Skye snorted.

"Did they teach you that one at the Academy?"

"What I have, can't be taught."

"Are you drunk?"

"Thankfully not. I'd hate to forget _this_ ," Coulson stepped into her space again, and she was too surprised to move away. She sucked in a breath and stared at him, a mixture of concern and interest on her face.

Now they were almost nose-to-nose.

"AC," She whispered, questioningly.

"Hey! Coulson! I've got something to show you!" Barton jumped out from around the corner, wanting to stop them before something happened that they couldn't move back from.

Skye disappeared, and Coulson immediately glared at the archer.

"What the hell was in that arrow?" Coulson demanded, pressing his fingers against the puncture in his thigh. His fingertips came away stained a bit with blood.

"How do you feel?" Barton faced his boss, peering into the mans eyes and reaching for his wrist to check his pulse.

"Let's start with _pissed off_ ," Coulson glared at Barton, "And move on toward _manipulated_ , and _disgusting_ ,"

"Disgusting?" Barton couldn't help but interrupt in surprise. He dropped Coulson's wrist, once seeing that his pulse was at a healthy, steady pace. "Because you flirted with Skye?" Barton scoffed. "That's hardly the _first_ time - "

"I couldn't control myself, Barton! What the _hell_ \- " Coulson's entire demeanor changed literally in a manner of seconds.

"Sorry, left my sweater in here..." Skye mumbled, keeping her eyes averted from both men.

"Skye, please don't be embarrassed; it's my fault," Barton quickly tried to apologize.

" _Skye_ ," Coulson sighed heavily, sounding immensely pleased, and Skye froze. She looked at him carefully, but he was only just standing there staring at her with pure adoration.

Barton's eyes widened as he looked between the two of them.

"Shit. Tasha's going to kill me."

\-----

"You did _what_?!" Natasha Romanoff yelled at Clint Barton, and the man flinched out of reflex.

"I didn't do it on _purpose_!" He argued, but she was not deterred.

"You compromised the _Director of SHIELD_ , Clint! The only man who has any clue as to what to do about this whole Hydra fiasco, and you go and _shoot_ _him_." Natasha shook her head angrily.

"But he's not _completely_ compromised,"

"He just can't act like a normal functioning human being around his _Second_ _in Command_. Clint..." Natasha growled, and Barton ducked around to put the lab holo-table between them. " _Look_ at him! They were really starting to get this whole new SHIELD thing running, and you had to go and screw it up with one of your little pranks."

"I didn't think it would actually work!" Barton argued lamely. "And besides, it wasn't supposed to be this potent!"

As they argued around the table, Coulson and Skye sat cross-legged on top of it, facing one another. Skye looked perturbed, but curious, and Coulson looked like a love-sick puppy.

"I've looked into the blood sample that Director Coulson so graciously provided," Simmons spoke up from her position behind a microscope. "It seems whatever mixture that was in Agent Barton's arrow has reacted with the serum already present in Director Coulson's blood, exacerbating the effects."

"What are the effects, exactly?" May wondered, leaning against the doorway with her arms folded. Trip, Fitz, and Koenig were there as well, having heard of the situation and wanting to see for themselves.

"Well..." Simmons spoke sheepishly as she glanced toward the oblivious Coulson. "He loses most interest in anything and anyone else, once he has a visual on Skye. Though as soon as she leaves the room, he reverts back to normal - albeit more frustrated and more embarrassed than usual."

"And if I were to attack him?" May asked, stepping toward the table. Barton and Romanoff immediately moved as one to block her from reaching Coulson. She narrowed her eyes at them. "I said _if_ , you idiots. I would never hurt him."

"Unless under orders from Fury." Natasha said pointedly, and May thinned her lips but said nothing else.

"His reflexes would not be up to par," Simmons admitted.

"Which is _why_ ," Natasha smacked Barton on the back of his head before he could slip away again, "we now can't have them working on ops together!"

"Ow!" Barton yelped, pressing his hands against his head to protect himself as he retreated to the other side of the table once more.

"Well, at least not until I get an anti-serum concocted," Simmons interjected with a hopeful tone.

"Skye," Coulson breathed, reaching his hand out to press the tips of his fingers against her knee.

"There are _so_ many codes being broken right now," Koenig sighed, shaking his head with disappointment.

"What if someone were to attack _Skye_?" Fitz spoke up, and everyone (except the two on the table) turned to look at him. He shrugged awkwardly at the sudden silence in the room. "I mean, you say his attention is centralized around Skye right now - so would her being attacked pull him out of it?"

"How about - no one attack me? I'd like _that_ plan, personally." Skye spoke up, and Coulson leaned toward her, staring at her lips as they moved. She felt his fingers press a little more firmly against the material of her jeans, but she tried not to call attention to it.

"I would suggest against that," Barton warned them seriously. "He might react... Strongly."

"Who's fault is that?!" Natasha chided him, and he groaned and threw his hands into the air.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it now!"

Before they could get into another row, Skye slipped off of the table and drew everyone's attention.

"I've just gotta pee..." She muttered. "Geez, my own team treating me like a side-show," She shook her head as she walked out of the room. Trip and Fitz looked embarrassed, but then they caught Coulson trying to follow her, and Trip had to hold him back long enough until he couldn't see Skye anymore.

Coulson pushed at Trip roughly, jerking the lapels of his jacket straight with a hard tug.

"Have you gotten your entertainment for the day?!" He hardly ever raised his voice these days, so they knew they were treading dangerously. One by one, they apologized and left the lab until only FitzSimmons, Barton, and Natasha were left. Coulson sighed heavily and sat down on the edge of the holo-table. He ran his hands over his face, giving Simmons am exhausted look.

"I'm doing my best, Sir," She promised him, and he smiled lightly.

"I know, Simmons." He said.

"So... Is this with Skye because she was the first one you happened to see after he shot you - "

"Thanks." Barton interjected dryly, plopping into one of the rolling chairs and spinning himself around slowly.

" - Or is it Skye because of the two of you and your magical alien blood?" Natasha finished as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"I'm not sure," Coulson frowned as he thought.

"Were you attracted to her before?" Barton asked, and Coulson glared at him. "What?" Barton asked innocently. "It's just a question."

"It's inappropriate," Coulson glowered.

"That's not an answer," Natasha pointed out.

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" Skye asked as she came back into the room. "Did AC finally yell at everyone?"

They all watched as Coulson visibly relaxed, smiling softly. Skye didn't seem nearly as uncomfortable with his constant attention as she had been at first; in fact, she acted as if this were all rather normal.

"Yes. And we _are_ sorry - it's just so..." Fitz couldn't think of a word for it, and he simply gestured toward Coulson, who grinned widely when Skye hopped up onto the table next to him. She bumped his shoulder with her own, grinning at him in return, and he managed to look even more pleased with himself.

"It is quite literally the exact moment he sets his eyes on you, Skye." Simmons sounded impressed with whatever it was.

"Same when he hears my voice, too." Skye shrugged, and Natasha raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" She asked thoughtfully, and she and Barton shared a knowing look.

"Look, it's not _all_ that bad. I know it must be embarrassing for him," Skye winced and patted Coulson's hand. "But it's not like he's tried to... Do anything. He's just... Affectionate."

Coulson was focusing on running his fingers along hers on top of the table.

"The two of you have been a wonderful asset to have in the field," Natasha said with some disappointment. "You guys have the secret agents-behind the scenes stuff down pat. Clint and I... A part of the reason why we're so good is because people _know_ us. These days, SHIELD needs more of you two and less of us."

"SHIELD needs everyone," Coulson corrected, still drawing patterns on Skye's hand. "And everyone needs someone." Coulson looked up toward Barton and Natasha; the first time he'd truly paid close attention to something other than Skye while she'd been in the room.

Natasha and Barton glanced at one another, smiled, and then nodded toward their old SO.

\-----

"I'm gonna hang back on this one, okay?" Skye checked with Coulson as he fitted an earpiece into his ear. He nodded.

"Of course," He said with a smile, though he sounded a little disappointed.

"Trip will be in your ear, relaying my information, alright?" She continued in that same careful tone of voice, and Coulson frowned.

"It'd be a lot easier if I was getting my intel straight from you," He said, and Skye gave him an apologetic look.

"You know why that would be more dangerous." She said, and before he could argue she continued, "I designed this op and we ran through it a hundred times - everything will be fine."

Coulson finished tightening down his bulletproof vest, and he checked his Smith & Wesson one more time before securing it on his hip.

"Okay." He said, standing there in front of her. She took the opportunity to admire his look, and he frowned. "That's not fair." His voice was slightly whiny, and Skye shifted, looking toward her computer.

"Sorry. I'll be waiting here for you when you get back," She assured him. She didn't hear him get out of the van. "Coulson," She said warningly, glancing toward him. He seemed to shake himself, and turned toward the back door of the van.

"Right."

The beginning stages of the op progressed smoothly, but Trip found himself stuck at a checkpoint, and Skye couldn't get through from her position in the van.

"Trip," She said over the wire as she stuffed some things into her bag and hopped out of the van, "Don't tell AC, but I've gotta be on location to get through that door."

"Jesus," Trip groaned. "Alright, but hurry. Coulson's team is supposed to meet up in ninety seconds."

"Got it," Skye said. It was easy for her to catch up to Trip, since they'd already dispatched the guards up to this point. "Heya," She flashed him a grin before digging through her bag, and he shook his head.

"You're crazy. You realize that if he sees you - "

"I didn't expect this sort of security, here. There's probably something pretty important behind this door." Skye interrupted. "Look, this isn't going to take me long. I just can't do it from the van, that's all. Guard me."

"Got it, boss." Trip said teasingly, and turned to guard her back as she connected her tablet to the entry system and began typing furiously. "Coulson and Natasha are nearing our position," Trip whispered after a few moments.

"Almost there... damn it, I won't be able to get back out before Coulson sees me. Too late for that. Just keep him calm." Skye warned, and Trip shook his head.

"I can't wait until Simmons figures out how to fix him."

"He's not _broken_." Skye frowned at Trip, as if she were personally insulted. He raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry, I just,"

"We're in!" Skye suddenly said, pulling everything back into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Are you armed? Get behind me," Trip said quickly, moving to point position.

"We're supposed to wait for the other team before moving further," Skye reminded him.

"The guys on the other side of the door have decided not to wait, however," Trip hissed, and Skye quickly drew her weapon just as the door flung open. She'd have to admire Fitz's new tech later; right now she was just trying not to get shot. Again.

\-----

"What the hell... he went on ahead," Natasha muttered as they turned down the hall where they were supposed to meet up with Trip.

"Looks like he was ambushed." Coulson said as he led the way through the open door, stepping over a body.

"Looks like he did a pretty good job defending himself," Natasha said admiringly, taking in the handful of Hydra agents slumped around the room.

"Sir!" They both turned quickly toward Trip's voice; he was limping toward them from a side room. "One of them's managed to grab Skye. He's hiding in one of these back rooms - "

" _What_." Coulson's voice was icy.

"Shit." Natasha let out a breath. "Are you injured?" She asked Trip, and he shook his head quickly. "Good. Let's make sure our Director doesn't get himself killed.

"She had to get into the door from the inside. I warned her - she did a great job - somebody jumped us from behind - "

"Don't worry about that right now." Natasha interrupted him, and he nodded, swallowing and pulling up his weapon again as Coulson eyed the various doors leading out of the room.

Without seeming to make a conscious decision, he moved quickly toward one door and threw it open with no preamble.

He quickly fell back into the room, with someone on top of him, as they both scuffled for his weapon. Natasha and Trip immediately headed toward that room as well, taking care of any other enemies. Coulson managed to get the guy in a choke hold, and shoved him away once he fell unconscious. He got to his feet quickly and reached for his gun, heading toward the next room.

"Coulson, you can't single-handedly take out every agent until you find her," Natasha scolded as she hurried to follow him.

"Watch me," He growled, entering the next room gun-first.

"Should I call May?" Trip asked, and Natasha shook her head.

"That's a last resort." She turned right as Coulson turned left, and all Trip could do was stand in the doorway and watch as they dispatched the entire room. He let out a low whistle in admiration.

"Damn."

Coulson glared at him.

"Where the hell - "

"Looking for us?" A voice called out from behind Trip, and all three of them turned their weapons onto the intruder. He was smirking at them, his arm around Skye's waist and his pistol pressed against the side of her head. "I admit, you got very lucky with that stomach wound. Let's see if you can bring her back after I blow her brains out."

"You know each other?" Natasha wondered, trying to stall. Although this guy had a gun to Skye's head, she was more worried about Coulson. 'Furious' hardly described the vibes he was giving off right now.

"Old friends," The slimeball replied, and Coulson's lip twitched. He looked murderous.

"I clearly did not plan this one out well enough," Skye said apologetically.

"Quinn, I swear to God," Coulson threatened, taking a step toward them, and Quinn pressed the gun harder against Skye, making her flinch and grimace. Coulson stopped moving immediately, but kept his gun trained on Quinn.

"Quinn? As in, Ian Quinn? I thought he was dead." Natasha said, and Triplett shook his head.

"He should be," He glowered, and Quinn only smiled wider.

"My, you all are very protective over this one, aren't you? Haven't you learned, yet, Coulson?" Quinn goaded, and Coulson's grip tightened around his gun.

"AC," Skye said, calling his attention, and his stance wavered only a tiny amount when he looked her in the eyes. She nodded at him, and he nodded in return.

"Cute," Quinn scoffed, and suddenly Skye collapsed in his arms. Surprised, Quinn hesitated, and that millisecond was all Coulson needed to throw himself at the man.

Natasha and Trip ran forward as well, making sure Skye was okay, and she immediately got to her feet and moved away from the fighting men, brushing away Natasha's hands.

"I'm fine, I faked him out," She said, her eyes on Coulson. Quinn was bigger, and he got the upper hand for a few moments, no doubt cracking Coulson's ribs with the way his punches were landing.

Somehow, Coulson managed to use his legs to flip Quinn over, and then he started wailing on the man's face like it was a punching bag. Long after he had stopped struggling, Coulson kept punching him, and Trip wrapped his arms around his Director, dragging him to his feet.

"Coulson! Coulson, stop! He's done, he's done," Trip held tight until Coulson's breathing relaxed a little, and the wild look was gone from his eyes.

He wiped his hand across his mouth, brushing away blood, glancing down at the bloodied man on the ground.

"The files, Coulson. The files." Trip reminded him, and Coulson nodded, not looking at any of them as he stumbled back toward one of the rooms they had previously infiltrated.

"Let's get him tied up," Natasha said, pulling out a hood to throw over Quinn's head. Trip helped her out, and Skye stood where she was, staring.

"Are you okay?" Trip asked quickly, and Skye hesitated before nodding slowly. "Come on. Coulson will meet us back at the van." He wasn't technically in the position to be giving orders, but Skye looked like she needed them. She nodded slowly again, and led the way out of the building as Trip and Natasha dragged Ian Quinn's unconscious body between them.

\-----

"What happened?" Simmons asked immediately as Trip and Natasha deposited a body into a chair in the corner of the med lab. Skye stood in the middle of the room, strangely quiet and looking harried, and Coulson was bent slightly to the side as he entered the room, blood on his face.

"There was some scuffling. My ankle was twisted - that can be looked at later. Check out Coulson, first. He probably has some broken ribs." Trip explained. He and Natasha nodded to one another, and Natasha exited the room, shutting the door behind her to give them some privacy.

Coulson gingerly sat on the edge of one of the beds, pulling at a strap on his vest with his left hand. He winced, and Skye moved toward him, pushing his hand away and undoing the straps carefully. He winced a few times as the heavy material pushed against him, but he gazed up at her softly, pressing his uninjured hand against her cheek.

"He's never going to hurt you ever again." Coulson promised quietly, and Skye nodded, biting her lip to keep her tears from falling.

"I know," She whispered. "Let's get this thing off you," He dropped his hand so she could lift the vest up over his head, and he let out a bit of a sigh, already feeling a little more comfortable. She set the vest to the side, and Simmons focused on Coulson's hand while Skye began to unbutton his shirt.

"Who did you beat up?" Simmons asked lightly, and Trip jerked his thumb to the still body on the chair.

"Skye," Coulson breathed, and his knees pressed against her hips slightly.

"You're injured, Coulson," Skye told him softly. "We need Simmons to take a look at your ribs." He nodded, and didn't move anymore while Skye pulled off his shirt, careful not to mess up the bandages Simmons had just wrapped around his hand. Skye set the shirt aside, and then Coulson pulled her toward him, dropping his head against her chest and wrapping his arms around her waist. She pressed her hands against the back of his head, resting her chin on top of his head, closing her eyes so she didn't have to see Simmons' worried face or Trip's curious one.

It was the most intimate they've ever been with one another so far, but Skye knew that Coulson just needed comforted; assured that she was okay.

"C'mon, AC," Skye murmured, moving her hands to his shoulders to push him away gently. "Let's get you fixed up." He stared up at her with a look on his face that made her breathless, and she couldn't say anything else as she stepped back to allow Simmons space to work.

"Well, these are bruising up quite nicely already," Simmons said loudly, trying to act as if she hadn't seen anything amiss. "But..." She pressed her fingers against his sides, and he winced and glared at her. "Good news; your ribs aren't completely broken. Two of them are cracked, however." She began gathering the necessary supplies for that, and some gauze and cleaning fluid for the cuts on Coulson's face, as well.

"I'll be in the command room with Natasha," Skye informed them before slipping out of the room.

She made it halfway there before sliding against the wall, breaking down into uncontrollable sobs. After a minute Barton was there, leaning down next to her and wrapping his arms around her. She latched onto him tightly, and they held one another until she was only sniffling occasionally.

"I've seen him in combat plenty of times," Skye murmured against Barton's shoulder, "But I've never seen him like that, before."

Barton knew what she was talking about. He'd been watching from base the security footage that she had hacked into. If he was honest, he'd never seen Coulson loose his cool like that before, either. Not to the point of beating a man senseless.

"Skye,"

"That wasn't him." Skye interrupted, sounding sure of herself, leaning away from Barton to gather herself together. He allowed her to pull away, but continued to sit next to her.

"What do you mean?" He asked carefully.

"His eyes... they were different. It was... It _scared_ me," She whispered, staring wide-eyed at the floor.

"He's compromised, Skye," Barton reminded her softly. "And that's my fault, I know, but... he's experiencing emotions that he would normally experience. They're just at a heightened level."

"So are you saying he still would have beaten the crap out of Ian Quinn?" Skye demanded, sounding almost angry.

"I don't know, Skye." Barton said honestly. "Perhaps."

"But his eyes... they weren't _normal_." Skye looked at him, and then quickly got to her feet. "I need to talk to Simmons,"

"Skye, wait," Barton reached for her, but she was heading back toward the med lab before he could say anything else. He sighed heavily, and slouched back against the wall. Timing was everything, and right now, timing sucked.

Coulson smiled when Skye barged back into the room, but she headed straight toward Simmons, who was peering through her microscope.

"Purple," Skye began, and Simmons looked up at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"His eyes. They were... they were so blue. They were like _purple_." Skye insisted, and Simmons narrowed her eyes.

"Whom are we talking about, here?" Simmons asked, and Skye jerked her thumb toward Coulson, who was currently struggling to put his shirt back on over his wrapped torso.

"Him! When Trip pulled him off of Quinn, I saw his eyes. They weren't _his_." Skye said urgently, moving back toward Coulson as he buttoned up his shirt.

"You have a theory," Simmons realized, following Skye around the table. Coulson looked between the two of them, struggling with the buttons because of his bandaged hand.

"Yes," Skye began, pushing his hands away with a huff and beginning to button his shirt for him. Simmons noticed him tense, and his pulse jumped suddenly, but Skye paid no attention. "I think it had something to do with the serum. Not Clint's arrow, but GH325. Maybe another instance where the arrow was, um, how did you say it?" Skye's brow furrowed as she concentrated on one of his buttons, and Simmons figured she wasn't noticing how closely they were leaning toward one another.

"Exacerbating the effects?" Simmons guessed, and Skye nodded, her face lighting up.

"Yeah! That's it! That's what I think happened." She reached the last two buttons near his collar, and decided to leave them open, reaching around to straighten his collar instead. He stared up at her like they were the only two in the room, and Simmons shifted uncomfortably. Skye realized Coulson's hands were resting on her hips, and she pulled away from him carefully.

"Sorry, AC," She apologized when he frowned at their loss of contact.

"Hm," He made a disappointed sound, but then Skye wrapped her arm around his back when he started to push himself off of the bed.

"Uh, should you be moving around?" She asked, looking at Simmons. Simmons frowned, but sighed.

"You really should lie down for a while, Sir." Simmons advised.

"I'll lie down in my own room. I'm not going to be in here on display for everyone to gawk at." Coulson said firmly, and Simmons nodded, looking back to Skye.

"Make sure he rests," She advised her, and Skye nodded. Simmons went over to take care of Triplett as Skye walked with Coulson out into the hallway.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should stay in there for just one night, at least..." Skye trailed off at the look on his face.

"If I sit in the same room as Ian Quinn any longer, I _will_ kill him." Coulson said seriously. Skye looked over at him curiously.

"Are you... no longer affected by Barton's arrow thing?" She wondered, and Coulson narrowed his eyes, dropping his gaze, and then looked straight ahead.

"No." He said, and Skye winced.

"Sorry. It just seemed like..."

"My fury at Quinn overtakes it, mostly. But..." He glanced back toward her again. "Maybe you shouldn't be with me right now. I can make it to my office on my own."

"Pff," Skye scoffed, "I don't think you realize just how much you're leaning on me right now, AC."

"I realize. That's kind of the point." He said, looking at her sideways. She was quiet for a moment.

"Ah."

"Too late, now," Coulson muttered when he pressed his palm against the reader by his office door. "Now I've got you in my room."

" _Coulson_!" Skye scolded, laughing. He grinned at her, even though she knew he wasn't feeling too well after that trip down the hallway. He let out a sigh as they stepped into the office, and he pushed the door closed behind them. "Coulson," Skye warned, just as he turned back toward her and nuzzled her jaw.

"Haha," He said, "Tricked you," And he wrapped both of his arms around her waist, holding her close.

"Hey!" She gasped, surprised, "You've got cracked ribs! Simmons wouldn't lie about that!"

"Of course not," He murmured against her ear, "But I heal pretty quickly, remember? _And_ she gave me some Vicodin for the pain, so I feel pretty great right now." He admitted.

" _Coulson_." Skye scolded again, but her breath hitched when he brushed his nose against her neck. "You're still _hurt_ , even if you don't feel it..." She reminded him, closing her eyes when his lips pressed against the pulse point on her neck. She shifted in his arms so they were standing front to front, and put her arms around his shoulders carefully as he buried his face into her hair.

"You're safe," He whispered, and Skye knew that he was assuring himself more than he was assuring her. She just continued to hold him, and allowed him to hold her, for as long as he needed.

\-----

"Coulson? Coulson? It's your turn, bossman." Barton called out loudly.

They were playing a game of Monopoly - the whole team - and for the fifth time already, someone had caught Coulson staring at Skye, completely distracted.

"Six," Coulson said after reading the dice he threw. He calmly finished his turn and went back to watching Skye, as if she were the television or something else that would be _normal_ to stare at for hours on end. Barton narrowed his eyes as he watched Skye shift in her seat, biting her lip after she caught Coulson's eyes for a moment.

"You think they're having sex?" Natasha asked quietly in Barton's ear. He shook his head slightly, then leaned toward her to reply in the same fashion,

"No, he loves her too much to just jump into bed with her like that. But I'm pretty sure he's undressing her with his eyes, though." They smirked at one another.

\-----

They were supposed to be briefing Trip, May, and Barton on their next mission. And that _was_ happening, of course - but Barton figured that Coulson was also trying to see how often he could touch Skye before someone called him out on it.

Barton was surprised Skye didn't push him away, especially after that suspicious brush of his fingers against her thigh.

Coulson kept playing it off as an accident, or that he didn't notice, but Barton could clearly tell that both of them were very aware every time he encroached her space. And she didn't seem to mind at all, which was interesting.

May let out a groan when the three of them left the other two in their own world.

"I lost count after the twentieth time he touched her hand. Has Simmons gotten _anywhere_ with her research?" May complained, scowling. "This is so unprofessional."

"Well, how else do you think it was going to happen?" Barton snarked, hating that they were all playing the blame game against him, as if _they_ hadn't agreed -

"Shut up, they might hear us!" Trip hissed, ending their conversation.

\-----

"So. Simmons got you all fixed up, then?" Skye asked from the doorway to Coulson's office. He looked up from his desk, eyeing her for a moment before nodding and leaning back into his chair. She immediately moved toward what they know dubbed 'her recliner', and curled her legs up onto the seat cushion.

"Yes." He said, unsure whether or not to apologize for his ridiculous behavior. "Thank you for... Not holding it against me. Thank you for not being weird about it."

"Why would I have been weird about it?" Skye furrowed her brow.

"It was certainly an odd situation. And the rest of the team - "

"What goes on between you and me is no business to the rest of the team." Skye interrupted firmly, and he stared at her in surprise for a moment.

"But we are a _part_ of the team - we _lead_ the team,"

"You don't see me asking FitzSimmons about how I've never seen one of them leave the bath without the other in tow."

".... They..."

"Makes sense," Skye said softly, and a pained look crossed Coulson's face.

"They shouldn't have gone through that."

"None of us should have gone through what we have gone through." Skye said firmly. "Nevertheless, here we are. Survivors. Together."

Coulson couldn't help but appreciate her, and Skye raised her eyebrow at the look on his face.

"Uh oh. Looks like Simmons still has some work to do," Skye teased lightly, but then she looked confused when he stood and moved toward her.

"I believe, under the rules that you have said just moments ago, that this is none of her business," He leaned over her, placing his hands on the armrests either side of her.

"Coulson?" Skye wondered, slightly breathless from the look in his eyes, and he grinned at her.

"You never told me I was being inappropriate," He began curiously, rubbing the tip of his nose along the curve of her ear. "You teased, you joked, but you never told me to stop..." He whispered softly, his lips barely brushing against her skin.

Her hands had a death grip on the lapels of his jacket.

"There were moments when I _knew_ you were aware of what I was thinking of..." He brushed his finger down the curve of her neck, watching how her eyelids fluttered slightly. "What I was _imagining doing_ ," He hissed just beneath her other ear, indulging the sensitive spot.

Skye let out a muffled whine, her hands still clenching his jacket tightly.

"Imagining the noises you would make, when I show you what it's like to _really_ be loved by a man." His lips touched the side of her neck, and she managed to mostly swallow down the resulting whimper.. "By someone who doesn't use sex as a tool." He sucked lightly at the pulse point between her shoulder and neck, and she gasped, her hands sliding underneath his jacket and against his dress shirt. "By someone who completely intends to spend entire nights dedicated to you."

He had hardly touched her, other than the light brush of his finger and the few times he allowed his lips to tease against her skin, and she felt like a complete mess sitting in that chair.

"I dreamt about you," She blurted. He lifted his head back so he could look her in the eye, though kept his hands planted firmly on the armrests of her chair. "Whenever you would see me, and just say my name like... Like it was the most wonderful word in the world... I dream about those moments. Even after Simmons figured it was all a reaction to the serum." She admitted.

"Skye," Coulson sighed, cupping his hands against either side of her face, "Your name has always been my favorite word."

"Always?" Skye asked dubiously, and he smirked slightly.

"Perhaps not _literally_ always," he conceded, "but certainly for as long as I care to remember."

"You only care to remember the past two years of your life?" Skye asked sadly, and he brushed his thumbs across her cheekbones.

"They've been the years worth remembering," He assured her. She smiled at him, and when he saw her gaze drop to his lips, he wasted no more time before leaning in and kissing her softly, but with intent. She reciprocated immediately, releasing a moan against him as if she had been waiting for this for a long time.

Perhaps she had been, because her hands were grabbing at his belt, tugging his hips toward her, trying to get him to climb into the chair with her.

"Mmph," Coulson grunted, pulling his lips away from hers for a moment. "This chair is not big enough for the both of us,"

"I'll take that as a challenge," Skye grinned, grasping at his necktie to pull him against her again.

Through much scrambling and very few moments where they _weren't_ attached at the lips, Coulson found himself lounging halfway in the chair and half across it, Skye curled up in his lap, still within perfect kissing distance. Their legs tangled together over the arm of the chair, and his fingers tangled through her hair as she opened her mouth for him.

The only clothing that they had managed to lose were Skye's shoes and Coulson's jacket, and both of them were okay with spending the next few hours exactly like this.

\-----

"Operation Cupid was a success," Barton announced to the team gathered in the lab. They all cheered in various quiet manners, not wanting to call attention to their secret meeting.

"What was that stuff, Jemma? I mean, it really threw Coulson for a loop," Trip said appreciatively, and Simmons smiled.

"Aw, a woman never tells her secrets..." Simmons was embarrassed but pleased with the praise, and she and Fitz shared a grin.

"I still can't believe I had to do that..." Barton complained good-naturedly. "And if you tell anyone that I played Cupid, my next character act will be The Hunter - and whomever _snitched_ will be my prey."

"So you think he'll ever be open about it?" Natasha asked May, and the pilot smirked knowingly.

"He still won't admit that he used to listen to her broadcasts when he was alone in his office."

"Her hacking stuff?" Natasha asked with surprise. May rolled her eyes, but in a loving manner.

"He always did say that she was an asset."

"Ah, they still call it that, these days?" Natasha teased, and May smiled.

"Phil does. You know how he is."

"Oh, man, he's going to take her for rides in his flying car, isn't he?" Natasha asked knowingly, and May chuckled.

"Oh, Romanoff, he is long past that. How do you think he recruited her for the team?"

"Wow, he broke out the big guns that early?"

"Nah, he's probably doing that _now_ ," Barton interjected, wiggling his eyebrows, and Natasha and May both slapped him upside his head.


End file.
